John Arne Markussen

Today, President Trump will issue a series of Executive Orders that deny the climate emergency facing our country in favor of a phony “energy emergency”. These performative acts show the pervasive influence that the fossil fuel industry will have in the United States over the next four years. But make no mistake, the global Sustainability Revolution is unstoppable. As was the case in 2017, withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement is a shortsighted abdication of leadership that will only serve to put our nation at a disadvantage. Clinging to the industries of the past instead of embracing the industries of the future may boost the short-term profits of fossil fuel companies, but it will come at the expense of the broader American economy - including American workers who risk being left behind. This is the first of what will be many attempts to ignore reality and try to stall the world’s unstoppable and irreversible move to a clean energy economy. But these proclamations are not reflective of our political and economic reality. These efforts to roll back progress – particularly the hugely popular clean energy investments in the Inflation Reduction Act – will be met with opposition from both political parties. That’s why, in the coming weeks, months, and years, climate leaders and activists must not be deterred or distracted. From extreme weather disasters like Hurricane Helene and the still burning Los Angeles wildfires, to the growing number of climate refugees, to competitiveness in the global economy, the climate crisis will have profound consequences for the United States over the next four years. If the new Administration won’t lead on this issue, it is up to all of us. Now is the time for Governors, Mayors, business leaders, investors, and activists to put their heads down and do the work that will advance the climate solutions our nation and the world so urgently need. We were able to keep up the pace of climate action during the first Trump Administration, and it is urgent that we take up the mantle once again.